Living with iPhone 1
July 14, 2007 at 11:30 am | Comments Off on Living with iPhone 1Today marks the end of my first two weeks of living with the iPhone. Thought it might be a good time to post some notes, particularly since most mainstream reviews have blown it when attempting to describe the day-to-day with the device.
For me, these writers either have been too dazzled by the interface and simply fawn over it. Or they’ve come across as hacks from the mobile phone world who hold up the list of current phone features and point out what the iPhone doesn’t do.
Just comparing the iPhone to a standard handset misses the point. Apple clearly is trying to change the rules in the mobile arena, just as they remade the music field with iPod. As someone who views the US cellular phone business and its conventions with contempt, that’s probably the single most exciting aspect of the iPhone.
Before I dive in, let me explain a bit about how I’ve approached this project and how I plan to proceed. I’ve immersed myself into iPhone land by watching the various tutorial videos from Apple and scouring sites for tips. More importantly, I’ve opened all the apps and tried every option or preference I can find. Not to document every aspect or write an authoritative how-to guide but always with the aim of adapting the device to my style. I’m also not attempting to post a finished piece in one fell swoop. I’ll be adding sections and observations over the next few weeks. Maybe longer.
Setup
One of the most revolutionary but unheralded aspects of the iPhone is that it doesn’t function as a standalone device. Unlike other phones, either conventional or smart variations, it has to be tethered to a recent Mac or PC. The moment you take it out of the box and power it on, you’re greeted with the message to connect to iTunes.
Like an iPod, most of the setup and management works best through your computer. Contacts, email accounts, music playlists all get sucked from your Mac or PC then synchronized each time you dock the phone. And frankly, you’re best off just forgetting about managing them on the iPhone. If you want to group contacts, setup photo albums or playlists, do it on your computer. Those kinds of things are easier when you’ve got a real keyboard, mouse and big display anyway.
Phone
Phone functions are great. Easily the best application. Love the incoming call screen with the big photo of the caller. It’s prompted me to add pictures for my most frequent contacts. I also appreciate the big buttons for call management options.
Simple options like call waiting have been nightmares on my previous handsets. Let’s say I called my friend Bill and got his voice mail. Then while I’m leaving a message, Bill calls me back. I click over and chat for a couple of minutes then hang up–only to have the original call ring back through because it never got released.
In contrast, the iPhone presents a unique set of buttons when a second call comes in. All the options are easy to see and the most common Hang Up and Take New Call is red. So intelligent. And it really shows the advantage of a touch screen interface. I was kind of astounded when I found a reviewer who dinged the iPhone for not having dedicated Call and End buttons. Why would you want old-fashioned dedicated buttons when soft ones make life so much easier?